Checkrein-holder.



No: 848,418.. I

, PATENTBD MAR. 2 1907; F. s. WEATHERHEAD & G. 0. ABBOTT.

GHEOKREIN HOLDER. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 30, 1905.

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FREDERICK S. WEATHERHEAD AND GEORGE O. ABBOTT, OF SPRINGFIELD,

VERMONT.

CHECKRElN-HOLDER.

No. 848,418. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 30,1905. Serial No. 252,863.

Patented March 26, 1907.

T0 (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK S. WEATHERHEAD and GEORGE O. ABBOTT, ofSpringfield, in the county of \Vindsor and State of Vermont, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Checkrein- Holders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to checkrein-holders for harnesses.

The object of the invention is to provide a device whereby the checkreinmay be readily coupled to or uncoupled from the saddle or other suitablepart of the harness.

An undesirable feature of the ordinary check-hook and ofcheckrein-holders hereto fore employed is that in coupling or uncouplingthe checkrein it must be retracted beyond the point where it is normallyheld and there be given a looking or hooking movement. If the resistingtension of the checkrein be ever so slight, it is with difficulty thatthe rein may be fastened.

The device provided by the present invention comprises two members, ofwhich one is adapted to be attached to the saddle and the other to thecheckrein. To couple the members, the one to which the checkrein isattached is adapted to be inserted into a chamber in the other in arearward direction. When it is inserted to the right depth, aspring-latch automatically locks the two members together. The insertedmember cannot then be withdrawn unless it be first turned in the chamberto depress the springlatch. A slight turn is the only movement necessaryto release the checkreinv Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of the two coupling members separated. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the members coupled together and attached to aharness-saddle. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the detachablemember. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts or featuresin allthe figures.

Fig. 2 of the drawings illustrates means whereby the device may be.attached to a saddle. The fixed member and detachable member areindicated, respectively, at and and the saddle at 30. The member 10 hasa square boss 11, which projects into the saddle to the under side ofthe metal saddle-tree 31. The majority of saddletrees are each providedwith a square hole for the reception of a bolt for attaching theordinary catch-hook, so the hole is utilized in the present case for thereception of the boss 11, which is made square to fit the hole. Themember 10 is fastened to the saddle by screws 32, whose heads overlapthe saddletree 31. 12 is a cylindrical chamber extending from the frontface of the member 10 toward the rear thereof. The member 20 has an eye21 at its'forward end and at the upper side thereof, through which thecheckrein is looped for attachment thereto. The body of the member 20 iscylindrical, so as to be adapted to be inserted into the chamber 12 andhave a running fit therein. A socket 22 is formed in the member 20 andextends upwardly from the bottom thereof. Said socket is for thereception of a latch or plunger 23, which is preferably cupped and whichhas an elongated notch 24 on its exterior surface. The latch 23 is heldin the socket 22 by a pin 25, which intersects the wall of the socketand occupies the notch 24. A helical spring 26 is compressed between thebottom of the interior of the latch and the top of the socket 22 for thepurpose of normally forcing the latch outwardly as far as the notch 24and pin 25 permit. The rear edge of the projecting end of the latch isbeveled, as indicated at 27, so that when the member 20 is inserted intothe chamber of the member 10 the latch is forced into the socket by theengagement of the face 27 by the wall of the chamber.

When the member 20 is inserted into the chamber 12 to the right depth,the latch 23 registers with a semicircular groove 13, formed in thelower half of the chamber, and is projected thereinto by the spring 26.(See Figs. 2 and 4.) The member 20 is therefore revented from beingwithdrawn so long as the latch projects into the groove 13. Theperiphery of the groove converges toward that of the chamber 12, asshown by Fig. 4. By reason of this formation the bottom of the grooveconstitutes a cam which when the member 20 is rotated in the chamber 12forces the latch back into said member, and thereby unlocks said member.The member 10 is provided with a thimble or hollow follower l 14, whichoccupies the chamber 12 and has i a running fit therein. Said followeris set into the chamber, so that its closed and is outermost. A helicalspring 15, of which one end is soldered to the interior of the followerand the other end to the member 1.0, is placed between said follower andthe inner end of the chamber and exerts its pressure to force saidfollower outwardly. When the member 20 is not in the chamber 12, thefollower is projected forwardly to the mouth of the chamber. (See Fig.1.) The opening is therefore always closed when not in use and cannotbecome fouled by dust, dirt, or other foreign elements. When the member20 is inserted, the follower is forced into the position shown by Fig.2, and when said member is unlocked by being turned, as alreadydescribed, the follower is instrumental in ejecting it. beingaccidentally rotated in the chamber 12 by the tension oftrically-located eye 21 by the pressure of the spring-pressed latch 23on the converging wall of the groove 13 and by the pressure of thespring-pressed follower 14 upon the inner end thereof.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, although without attempting to setforth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes ofits use, we declare that what we claim i.s-

1. A checkrein-holder comprising two tele scoping members adapted to berotated one with relation to the other, one of said members beingadapted to be attached to a suit able part of the harness and the otherto be attached to the checkrein and to enter into the first mentionedmember in a rearward direction; a movable latch on one of said. membersadapted to engage the other member to lock them together; and aprojection on said other member to engage said latch and unlock it whensaid members are rotated one with relation to the other.

2. A checkreinholder comprising two telescoping members of which one isadapted to be attached to a suitable part of the harness and is providedwith a chamber extending from the front toward the rear thereof, acam-groove in said chamber, and a latch on the other member adapted toautomatically project into said groove to lock said members together andto be moved to inactive position by the Wall of said groove when saidmem bers are relatively rotated.

3. A checkrein-holder comprising a member adapted to be afiixed to asuitable part of the harness, and having a chamber extending from thefront toward the rear thereof, a member adapted to be attached to thecheck The member 20 is prevented from j rein and to enter said chamber,and to rotate in said chamber, and means adapted to automaticall yprevent the withdrawal of said checkrein member when said member is atany position between two predetermined points of rotation, and torelease said checkrein member when said member is rotated beyond eitherof said predetermined points.

4. A checkrein-holder comprising a member adapted to be fixed to asuitable part of the harness, and having a chamber extending from thefront of said member toward the of which the other end is adapted to beinserted into said chamber when said checkrein 1 member is at anyposition of rotation about an axis extending longitudinally thereof, andto rotate in said chamber, and means for auto said fixed member whensaid checkrein member is at any position of rotation between twopredetermined points, and for releasing said checkrein member when thelatter is rotated beyond either of said pointsv 5. A checkrein-holdercomprising two separable members of which one is adapted to rotate inthe other, means for affixing the outer member to a suitable part of theharness, so that the of rotation extends longitudinally thereof, meansfor locking said rotatable member against withdrawal from said outermember when said rotatable member is between two predetermined points ofrotation, and for unlocking said rotatable member when said member isrotated beyond either of said points, and means on said rotatable memberadapted to be attached to the cheekrein and to normally hold saidrotatable member in locked position by reason of the direction oftension of the checkrein.

6. A checkrein-holder comprising a member adapted to be affixed to asuitable part of the harness, and having a chamber open at one end, aspring-pressed follower adapted to normally fill the mouth of saidchamber and to be forced inwardly against the springpressure, acomplemental member adapted to be inserted into said chamber againstsaid follower, said complemental member being also adapted to beconnected to the checkrein, and means for locking and unlocking I saidcomplemental member in said chamber. In testimony whereof We haveaffixed our signatures in. presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK S. WEATHERHEAD. GEORGE O. ABBOTT. Witnesses:

O. G. LEONARD, FRED H. SPAULDING.

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